MEET-THE-PRESSSERIES—MINISTRYOFGENDERTAKESITSTURN

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Government has released an amount of GH₵ 285,304,109.00 being part of the accrued monies owed to caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme for 2017 while an additional amount of Gh₵423,930,000.00 has been allocated for 2018 to sustain the Programme.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Otiko Afisah Djaba, made this known when she took her turn at the Meet-The-Press series to update the media on the progress, achievements and challenges of the Gender Ministry in Accra on Tuesday.

Madam Djaba disclosed that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) had engaged eight thousand new caterers under a new contracting guideline that the Ministry was implementing to guide caterers on how to purchase food items from local farmers and fishermen so as to promote the consumption of Made-in-Ghana goods’, adding that to ensure value for money, about 58% of schools were monitored on daily basis, she said.

Touching on Gender equality and women’s empowerment, she indicated that a series of programmes had been undertaken such as the International Women’s Day (IWD), to give women a platform to realize their potentials to contribute their quota to economic development.

She said the Ghana National Action Plan (GHANAP) on the United Nations Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security reviewed to ensure that representation and active participation in conflict resolution and management.

In addition, he said, the Ministry, in collaboration with community leaders, Queen Mothers and Religious leaders had, through durbars, created an awareness on fistula in prevalent communities and have assisted affected persons with medical care, adding that, Breast Cancer Awareness Month was also been observed and treated.

As part of the interventions to address the Kayayei phenomenon in the country, the Minister made it known that a programme was being rolled out to collect data on Kayayeis in all the major markets to inform decision making.

She noted that the Gender Ministry was working with GRATIS Foundation and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi to manufacture robust trolleys for Kayaye is as an alternative for carrying loads on their heads.

Madam Afisah Djaba said Operation Get off the Street Now for Better a Better Life would soon reduce persons living on the streets soon.

She disclosed that a Single Window Call Centre (Help Line of Hope) was launched and put in operation to receive complaints through a toll-free number 0800800800; hence, 268 cases ranging from disability issues, general enquires, legal issues, financial assistanceand domestic violence were reported and were being addressed.

She gave assurance that the Affirmative Action Bill had been re-submitted to cabinet for consideration and approval, noting that existing legal documents and policies such as the Domestic Violence Act, Human Trafficking Act and the Children’s Act were been translated into voice format in eleven (11) Ghanaian languages for easy access by public.